Red Gold

by Sandy Nadeau

  “Lord, we now humbly bow before You as this man has made a decision to accept You into his life. Lord, we thank You for our neighbor, thank You for bringing us together today here in his home, that we might help him to know You. In Jesus’ name. Go ahead Mr. Shonee. Just talk to Jesus. He’s sitting here right now with us.”

  Mr. Shonee cleared his throat, and in a raspy, shaky voice, he began. “Well, Jesus, I can see I really need You in my life. Never thought much before about it, but I can see it now.” He whispered to Jon, “What else do I say?”

  “Just say what you believe about Him.”

  “Well, I um…I believe what Jon and Mandy have told me today about You bein’ God’s Son and all. My dear wife Betty tried to tell me for years. I just been too stubborn to listen back then. Then I just been mad at You for taking her away. But now I see. I believe that You even died for an old codger like me. I’ve been pretty awful all these years. Don’t want to be that way no more. I’m tired. I believe You do love me. I know there’s something different and better in folks who believe in you. I want to be different, too. I believe You rose up out of that grave and Yer just waitin’ for me to ask. So Lord, I’m askin’. Help me to change and to know You. Um…in Jesus’ name.”

  Mandy couldn’t focus through the tears in her eyes.

  “Was that right?” Mr. Shonee asked.

  “It’s always right when someone asks for Jesus to come into their heart.” Jon smiled.

  “Oh, Mr. Shonee.” Mandy threw her arms around the old man and cried tears of joy.

  Mr. Shonee laughed and patted her back. “You women cry at everything.”

  Mandy laughed and pulled back. “I’m so happy for you, Mr. Shonee. Welcome to the family!”

  “Well, thanks. Guess I got me some learnin’ to do now. You think an old codger like me can learn this stuff?”

  Jon opened the Bible to the book of John. “This is a good place to start. I’ll put a book mark here and you read this when you can. It’ll tell a lot about Jesus and His life. It’ll also give a lot more information on what He did for us on the cross. But I want to show you, here in chapter one, verse fourteen. ‘The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.’ Jesus came as a man to offer Himself as a sacrifice because He’s the only one who could remove the sin of mankind for payment of sin. Jesus is the beginning, so the more you learn about Him, the more you’ll understand and grow to love Him. Just read.”

  “OK, thanks. I’ll do that.”

  Mandy added, “You can always call us, too, with questions you may have. You could also join us for church, sometime.”

  The man’s countenance seemed to be changing before their eyes. “I think I’d like that.”

  Jon stood. “We better get back to the ranch. Sue’s going to want more details.”

  “Oh my gosh,” Mandy exclaimed. “You’re right. We better go. Can we do anything else for you before we leave, Mr. Shonee?”

  “Nah, go on. Your day’s been messed up long enough.” Mr. Shonee attempted to get up. Jon took his arm and helped him rise. The three exchanged hugs.

  “You call us if you need anything, OK? And don’t forget, dinner tomorrow night at our house,” Mandy said on her way out the door.

  “I’ll be there. Thanks for…everything.”

  “You bet. Bye.” Jon waved.

  22

  Sue met them at the office door. The deputy had stopped by to fill her in.

  They apologized for the delay and filled in the details.

  Sue cried as she heard about Mr. Shonee’s acceptance of Christ. “I should have known you’d be out there ministering. I’m so glad everything worked out so well today.”

  “God promises and He fulfills. I’m heading down to the barn and the shop to check on things.” Jon walked out the door.

  Mandy practically fell into the chair by Sue’s desk.

  “Tired?”

  “Tired and hungry. If this is any indication of the rest of the summer, I don’t know how we’ll make it.”

  “Yeah, this has been a bit much. We got a call from Frank at the hospital. They got Sam patched up, but they’ll have to watch for infection. He lost a lot of blood, but they think he’ll pull through.”

  “Any word from the rangers on that cat?”

  “No, nothing yet. I’ve let all the guests know to be extra careful and stay together if they go up the trails.”

  Jenny suddenly burst into the office. “Mandy, you’re OK.” She threw her arms around Mandy’s neck, almost knocking her over.

  Mandy laughed and hugged her back. “I’m fine. Everything is good. They have Mark and Kane in custody. Mark got shot though, but he’s going to be fine.”

  “Who shot Mark?”

  “Kane was going to shoot Mandy, and Mark threw himself in the way,” Sue answered.

  “Oh, Mandy…” Jenny dramatically hugged her friend.

  “It’s OK, Jenny. Everything’s over with now. Come on. Let’s go for a walk.”

  “Oh, my dad wants to talk to you.”

  “Well, let’s go find him.”

  They walked out of the office and found Jon and Rick talking in the parking lot.

  Jon looked at them. “Mandy, come here a minute. Rick has some interesting news.” A huge smile lit Jon’s face.

  “Do I dare ask?”

  “Well, as you know, I’m a geologist,” Rick said. “The discovery of the rhodochrosite here is a real treat. My company often takes on projects like this when a discovery is made of minerals of interest or value. We’d like to explore the possibility of more specimens in that cave. Of course, it’s purely study on our part. Any further wealth would go to you since you own the property.”

  “Wow. You think it is worth more exploration?”

  “Oh, definitely. There’s just one other thing. Jenny, we’d have to spend the summer here.”

  “Really, Dad? Can we really?” Jenny grabbed his arm.

  Rick laughed. “Well, it’s up to the Phillips’s here if they want us around and if they agree to the further exploration. And I guess if they want to put up with us all summer.”

  Jon and Mandy looked at each other and grinned.

  Jon reached out his hand to shake. “I think it would be great to have you stay. Whatever you find up there would be quite interesting. Can you really work that out with your job?”

  “Oh, yeah. That is my job. And it’s my company.”

  “Well, let’s head over to the office and you and I can discuss this in more detail. We’ll have to check in with the sheriff and get the all clear. And after all this, the cabin is on us.” Jon slapped Rick on the back. They headed off together.

  Jenny jumped up and down, squealing with excitement. “Wow. I get to spend all summer here. This is so great.”

  Mandy hugged Jenny. “It will be wonderful to have you and your family around. But please, no more need to be rescued, OK?”

  Jenny laughed. “I promise I won’t go anywhere alone.”

  ****

  Jenny skipped off to tell her mom the news.

  Mandy went to the barn to talk to Nate. She found Nate and Phil repairing one wall where a horse kicked a hole during a cranky moment. “Hey, guys. What’s up?”

  “Hey, Miss Mandy. Just fixing what a horse set out to bust up.”

  “Well, now that everything has settled down a bit, we need to get to work on the town site. Nate, can you call the contractor in the morning and get him started?”

  “Sure, Miss Mandy. I’ll take care of it. We’re about done here.”

  “Thanks, Nate. I’m so excited.” She turned and went off to get some dinner. Bedtime would not come fast enough tonight.

  ****

  Jon and Mandy finally got into the house around nine.

  Mandy yawned and stretched.

  Barney curled up by the fireplace on his big dog pillow.

  A cool breeze blew throug
h the windows.

  Jon pulled off his jacket. “I’m exhausted. This one day feels like three.”

  Mandy slouched down onto the couch.

  Jon sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

  She leaned in. “I know. What a day. Who would have thought this morning that we’d have a day like that?”

  Jon pulled her closer. “Are you doing all right? You had a pretty harrowing time over at Mr. Shonee’s.”

  She yawned again. “Yeah. I’m OK. I’m just so thankful that even through all the bad things that happened over there, he was willing to give his heart to Jesus. Oh Jon, wasn’t that wonderful? I still get chills when I think about it. God is so good!”

  “Funny how the Lord works, but He sure was working overtime over there today.”

  “I asked Nate to call the contractor in the morning to get things started on the town site. I sure hope life can get back to normal now so all of that can proceed.”

  “I had the same thought. Thanks for getting Nate on it. At least the ground is leveled and ready. They can start forming the slabs and by next week the buildings should be able to be constructed.”

  “It’s finally happening, Jon. I can’t wait to have them finished and get in there to decorate them. Maybe Jenny can help me since they’ll be around this summer.” Mandy’s excitement bubbled to the surface. She sat forward and looked at her husband. “Oh, then we could set up the little store together. Maybe she’d even like to run it later this summer.”

  Jon pulled her back against him and wrapped both arms around her tight. “Shhhh…settle down. It’s bedtime, and you’ll get all riled up again.”

  Mandy laughed as she looked up at his face.

  His eyes closed.

  “OK.” She sighed. “I guess I have to be patient again. Let’s go to bed. I am not going to be able to carry you up.”

  “In a minute. I like it here.” They nestled into the couch. Soon, light snores came from her husband.

  She thanked God for His part in saving them that day, and then closed her eyes as she snuggled against his chest.

  23

  Jon and Mandy prepared to take the Carter family into the mountains for the day. They packed a cooler with sandwiches and water bottles.

  Mandy put a large roast with potatoes in the slow cooker remembering that they’d also invited Mr. Shonee for dinner. “Lord, You cook this roast for me today since I’ll be busy,” she murmured with a grin and headed for the door.

  Jon pulled up in a Jeep.

  Jenny and her parents walked over from their cabin.

  “Good morning,” Mandy said. “Are you all ready?”

  Rick had his arm around his daughter’s shoulder. “We sure are. We’ve got our hiking boots, hats, and sunscreen. We’re ready.”

  Jenny had her hair in a high pony tail and pulled through the opening in the back of her pink baseball cap. She wore denim, knee length shorts with a purple and pink plaid shirt. “Where are we going today?”

  “Thought we’d take you up to the high country and hike around close to tree line,” Jon replied. “It depends on how much snow is left. We could see some mountain goats. Could be some babies running around now, although it’s a little early for them. Got your cameras?”

  Connie held up her camera. “Yes we do. I would love to see some wildlife, just no mountain lions.”

  “Well, let’s go. Rick, you sit up front with Jon. Us girls will fit in the backseat better.” Mandy headed to the door.

  “I get the middle,” Jenny said diving in.

  Connie laughed. “Well, I won’t fit well in the middle anyway.”

  Jon headed out to the main road to go west up to the high mountain pass. He pointed. “We’ll be there soon. I think you’ll really like the views up this way.” He turned the vehicle to the left to take a steep, dirt road. The forest changed from the thick Ponderosa pines to the smaller lodge pole pines. That tell-tale reddish brown color tinged the forest in many areas, but hadn’t completely taken over, yet. Snow lay in the shady areas. Small fingers of water ran down the side of the road causing a slight rut to form in the ditch.

  “Oh, look at the river.” Jenny pointed out the window.

  “This is Jackson creek. I think we’ll pull over here for a minute. This is a beautiful spot for a family photo.”

  “A family photo is a great idea,” Connie said. We could use that for our Christmas card this year.”

  “There’s a huge boulder right down there you could all sit on with the creek behind you. The water is running high with the spring run-off. It was a mild winter, but it’s still running pretty good.” Mandy led the way.

  The group made their way to the creek sliding a bit in the loose pebbly rock that covered the small hillside. The water roared loud enough that they had to yell above the sound.

  Rick hopped on the boulder that Mandy pointed to. He reached out a hand to his wife and daughter.

  Jon stayed on the bank with the camera to get a good shot of them and the creek beyond.

  “There, got it.” Jon hit the review button on the digital camera. “Hang on. I’m going to get one more angle.” He stepped to his left, trying to avoid slipping on the rocks. He planted his foot against a clump of grass and took another shot with them off to the side with the roaring water beyond. “Beautiful.”

  Everyone turned to look at the rushing water. A cool misty breeze blew towards them, which felt good with the sun bearing down. After a few more minutes, they all made their way back to the Jeep.

  Jon headed to the first switchback. After several more, he pulled off on a very wide area.

  “Oh my gosh,” Rick murmured.

  Mandy opened her door and stepped out. “Come on. You need to see this.”

  They all gathered by the guard wall built out of mortared rock. The view down the canyon they had just come up was amazing. Trees as far as one could see. Pines, aspens, some reddish brown mixed in, they also saw a lake in the distance reflecting the sharp blue of the sky.

  “Wow,” Connie said quietly.

  Jenny sat on the wall and swung her legs over the side, startling her mom, who grabbed her shoulder.

  “Oh, Mom, I’m fine.”

  “Be careful, Jenny. That’s a long ways down.”

  “I know. I’m being careful.”

  Rick took lots of photos before they once again loaded into the Jeep.

  When the vehicle made its last turn on the mountain, it finally opened into a high meadow. Not many pine trees grew there. The short vegetation grew in patches against the pebbles and sand.

  Jon made a turn at a brown forest service sign that indicated the trail head. He parked, and they all got out. One other SUV sat empty in the small lot.

  “Grab your water bottles. At this altitude, you’ll need to stay hydrated. We’ll go slow, but drink before you are thirsty. Altitude sickness is just not fun. If any of you start feeling a bad headache, we’ll have to go down to a lower elevation. But if you drink enough water, you’ll be OK.”

  “What elevation are we at here?” Rick asked as he hooked his water bottle holder to his belt loop.

  Jon checked his GPS unit before he clipped it to his belt. “We’re at 10,100 feet.” He flung a small backpack onto his shoulder.

  Mandy slipped into her jacket. “Grab yours. You’re going to want them out there. The winds pick up fast sometimes.”

  “It’s cold up here. There’s still snow on the ground.” Jenny ran laughing to a large snow-covered area. She made a snowball and lobbed it at her dad. He made his own, and tossed it at her. She turned her back to him and it splattered against her backside. They both laughed as Rick grabbed her around the waist spinning her in a circle.

  Mandy chuckled. “You’re going to wear out before we hit the trail.”

  Rick struggled for a breath. “Wow. The air really is thin up here isn’t it?”

  “That it is. Come on. Let’s head up a ways.” Jon led the way to the trail.

  Jenn
y shivered. “I should have worn my jeans.”

  “Seems to me I mentioned that this morning,” Connie chided.

  The adults walked around the snow, while Jenny stomped right through it laughing.

  Once through the denser part of the twisted trees, the view opened up to a meadow.

  “Look.” Jenny pointed to where several white furry animals with short black horns grazed about half a mile away.

  “That’s the mountain goats. See if there are babies,” Jon said.

  A couple of the goats looked in their direction, and then went back to feeding on the new grass. Two very small, fuzzy babies suddenly appeared romping around the legs of a larger animal whose thicker fur showed the molting stage.

  Connie exclaimed, “Oh, my. Babies.”

  “Aren’t they cute?” Mandy said. “This is exciting. First babies of the season. I’m so glad you got to see them.”

  Jon checked his watch. “Do you want to watch more or should we move on?”

  “I’d like to experience it all,” Connie replied, even as she looked back at the babies. She turned to Rick and Jenny, who nodded in confirmation.

  Rick tripped on a rock in the path. “My legs feel heavy and wobbly.”

  “That’s the altitude. Just take it slow.” Jon moved to walk beside him.

  A cold wind blew at their faces. Very dark clouds were coming up and over the mountain ahead.

  “Oh, boy.” Jon stopped. “We need to go back to the car. That cloud does not look good.”

  “Oh, you’re right,” Mandy agreed. “Let’s head on back.”

  “Ahhhh, why do we have to go back? It’s just a cloud.” Jenny gave a pleading look.

  “When you are this high in elevation, storms can come up fast and furious.” Jon’s voice was firm. “We are sitting ducks out here with so few trees. We’ll just be safer if we get back to the car.”